by S Breaker
But all he could see was a cabin full of people, all weary-looking, either jostling for a seat or being already seated upon rows and rows of benches, eager for the airship to reach its destination.
Then when he glanced up again, Laney was no longer on the ship’s deck.
In fact, he could no longer see her anywhere.
He sat up, alerted, looking around furtively again, the slight crease of concern on his forehead easily seconds away from turning into a full-blown worry frown.
He had already lost one Laney. He was absolutely not ready to lose another.
Noah stood up, swallowing hard. But just as the crowd parted, he finally spotted Laney inside. He took a deep breath, belatedly realizing that his heart had already started to pound in alarm.
She was still talking to the dark-haired girl, but they were standing near the windows across the indoor cabin, amongst a new group of other people.
Noah frowned slightly, lowering back down in his seat.
He was a little bit concerned with how the people from this world would treat Laney, being that “Dr. Laney Carter” was a household name, and there was definitely no mistaking the resemblance.
But Laney was laughing at something and she fist-bumped one of the other guys in the group. Although Noah was too far away to hear what they were talking about. Then a blonde guy beside Laney casually slung his arm around her shoulders.
Noah blinked, instantly pushing off.
“Who is that?”
“Who?” Laney glanced up toward whom Rui, the dark-haired girl, was referring, in time to see Noah striding toward them from across the cabin. She met his gaze briefly as he threw his heavy flight jacket back on, his T-shirt stretching across his chest.
“That,” Rui replied, her mouth nearly dropping open.
Laney’s gaze was distracted.
She noticed a couple of groups of other young girls whom Noah passed by turn their heads to watch him brush past, before giggling to themselves. He must love that, she thought to herself in disbelief.
Not that she could blame them.
Noah’s demeanor was definitely a far cry from the chatty, arrogant air that was Jake Donovan, but he was just as hot—or probably even more so—with his usually slicked-back black hair all tousled and unruly.
But Laney just groaned to herself. It’s like it wasn’t hard enough that she was in a freaky alternate world where she had only met two people so far, she couldn’t even take five minutes to talk to some other kids and feel semi-normal again before the most anti-social babysitter ever came along to ruin everything.
“He looks pissed off,” Simon, the guy standing to Rui’s other side, commented.
Laney rolled her eyes. “That’s just Noah,” she said. “He always looks pissed off.”
“Laney,” Noah called out as he arrived.
The urgency in his tone made her worry. “Noah, what’s wrong?” she asked, alerted.
But Noah just cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, looking around at the rest of the group, his gaze settling on the blonde guy beside Laney for a moment, who instantly drew back.
“Oh shit, is he the primary?” Simon turned to Rui to ask under his breath.
Laney overheard and shot him a strange look. “The what?”
But in Noah’s presence, the guys all seemed eager to disperse.
“Hey Rui, we’re just going to go find our seats,” Simon bade her, as the rest of the group scrambled away with only awkward farewells. “Catch you later. It was nice to meet you, Laney.” He mocked a salute at her, before walking away himself.
And in no time at all, Laney was left standing with only Rui and Noah.
Laney looked around, confused. “What just happened?”
Rui simply chuckled, before putting her hand out for Noah. “Hi, I’m Dr. Rui Minato.”
At that, Laney snapped to alert. “Oh! Sorry, Noah, this is Rui.” She began introductions. “She’s a dendrogeologenetical scientist. She’s studying some of the tropical forests here in Singapore.”
Noah’s eyebrows rose. “You mean, a dendrological geneticist.”
Laney wrinkled her nose. “You know, you can let some of them go,” she told Noah. “I’m obviously the dumbest girl on this planet. You don’t have to advertise it.”
Rui laughed again. “I’m sorry,” she said to Noah. “I didn’t have the heart to correct her. I was an avid reader of her papers. Yours too. Quantum physics would have been my second choice of specialty.”
“Uh…thanks,” Noah mumbled, not quite knowing how to respond to the compliment. Then he asked Laney in a low voice, “Did you tell all these people who you are?”
But Rui herself nodded. “Oh, don’t worry. My team was at GNR a few months ago and we’d all heard about the other parallel world’s Laney. The one that was not a scientist.”
Laney raised her hand. “Present,” she said, looking almost apologetic.
Rui giggled. “I can’t even imagine how strange you must think this world is. How different.”
P.T. spun his wheels with a screech as if to punctuate her statement.
And Laney laughed, nodding. “Yes. I’d have to say I honestly haven’t stopped being amazed since I arrived here.”
Noah gave her a pointed warning look and her smile faded a bit before she went on. “Although, I am looking forward to seeing what this new country of yours is like.” She turned to Noah briefly. “Rui was just telling me about The Community and about cultural preservation.”
Then she turned to Rui to speak a long flurry of fluent Japanese before ending with a prompt, “desshou?”
“Sou!” Rui replied with a smile. She looked up at Noah. “I was telling Laney that we take preservation very seriously on our world, being that a significant portion of the world’s culture had been completely wiped out—some of which can never be recovered. It’s a rarity nowadays to find speakers of other languages. Everyone just speaks English. I mean, I barely get to practice speaking myself,” she admitted before turning to Laney again. “But you are amazing!”
Laney gave her a self-effacing oh-stop wave.
Rui turned to Noah briefly. “She speaks Japanese like she actually lived in Japan. It’s incredible!”
Noah met Laney’s gaze evenly. “Well, that does indeed sound amazing,” he said with a catch in his tone, as though he couldn’t wait to wrap up the conversation, and Laney made another face.
Rui looked from one to the other, as though herself sensing that Noah was eager to conclude their interaction, and she managed an uncomfortable smile. “Well, I suppose I better go re-join my team. It was truly an honor to meet you, Laney.”
“Hey, it was great to meet you too, Rui.” Laney gave her little bow. “Ja, mata ne!”
“Mata ne!” Rui said with a smile, before turning to walk away.
The Line
“So what, you speak Japanese now, too?” Noah asked when Laney met his gaze again, and she just shrugged. “But you’re still yourself.” He peered at her face, then glanced down discreetly at his HUD to double-check the status of her CCL.
“I guess being a linguist doesn’t require overtaking my entire consciousness.”
“Good.” Noah looked satisfied. “We’re trying to keep you on the down-low. I’m assuming you knew better than to be telling those people about the differences between your world and ours? At least one big one in particular?”
Laney sighed. “Would you give me a little credit?”
“I just did,” he pointed out. “In any case, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be socializing with too many people here. You know this isn’t your world.”
She rubbed the bridge of her nose, exasperated. “Yes, yes, you don’t have to keep rubbing it in. I am glaringly aware of the fact.” She shook her head. “No offense, but given that this was actually Eleanor’s world, you know, the ‘Super Genius’, I was sort of expecting them—” She jerked her thumb in the direction of Rui’s team. “To be a lot more brok
en up about her being gone.”
Noah’s jaw clenched since he knew exactly why. He let out a sigh, turning to lean against the railing by the windows to look outside. “That’s because they don’t know what really happened.”
“They don’t?” Laney looked puzzled. “Hey, I know I just don’t remember, but how could they not even know?”
“GNR is about an entire world away from The Community,” he told her. “And there’s already enough friction between GNR and certain sectors of society. Some people are still not happy about even the mere existence of the Quantum Jump Project. The President decided that any more bad press about the program or the lab wasn’t going to do anyone any good.”
“But you don’t agree,” Laney stated, leaning forward herself to read his face, as she put P.T. down on the windowsill.
“Whatever.” Noah shrugged. “They just wanted people to move on with their lives. Maybe sometimes, science should…just stay theoretical, you know?” He ran his hand through his hair roughly. “I don’t know anymore. There are times I wish we’d never even made those breakthroughs. But other times…” He paused, looking at her. “I can’t even imagine not having made them.”
Laney pursed her lips. She supposed it also hurt Noah even just to talk about Eleanor. But she averted her gaze, straightening up. “Well, if you ask me,” she started, trying to be upbeat. “I think scientific discoveries should be made with consideration of their consequences. You know, Jurassic Park was all over it.”
A corner of Noah’s mouth tilted up in amusement. “You said that last time, too. Although, I didn’t get the reference at the time either.”
“Really?” she asked, chuckling under her breath. “Well then, this must be very strange to you—having all these conversations all over again with me.”
“Well…we really didn’t have much time for conversation last time.”
Laney’s smile faded, as her brain had interpreted that statement in a certain way, and she looked up at him, taken aback.
Noah blinked, realizing what she was thinking. “No, no.” He waved his hand, straightening up. “I just meant we were always being chased by someone and running for our lives.”
“Oh! Oh.” She nodded. “Okay.”
But the stray thought must have lingered in Laney’s brain, and Noah caught her gaze dropping down to his mouth.
He looked away, summoning back his nonchalant façade as he definitely needed to clear something up. “Listen…I meant to apologize,” he started, with a slight wince. “About—that kiss yesterday.” He started to shake his head to explain. “That was—”
But Laney was already nodding. “It’s fine,” she said. “I figured it out already.”
He shot her a questioning look.
“You miss Eleanor,” she replied.
He stopped. “Yes,” he answered and shook his head again. “But I just wanted to make sure that you understand, it won’t happen again,” he stated firmly.
Laney huffed under her breath, almost in ridicule. “Sure, why would it?”
Noah narrowed his eyes. “Exactly. I mean, you have a boyfriend.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Good.” He nodded, letting out a little breath of relief before looking back out the window. “Then that’s settled.”
“Yes.” Laney agreed. “We can be friends,” she suggested with a tone of finality. She paused, furrowing her eyebrows. “Or friends again,” she amended, looking thoughtful. “I suppose we already were friends,” she inferred. “Right? I mean, you mentioned you’ve saved my life before.”
He gave her a brief pointed glance. “A lot.”
Laney frowned. He was making it sound like she was ungrateful, but how was she supposed to be grateful for something that she didn’t even remember happened? “But you said I also saved you before,” she recalled, pointedly.
He was more hesitant to reply, but after a moment, he finally said, “Yes.”
She waited for him to meet her gaze again, before raising her eyebrows in a prompt, “And?”
And Noah held her gaze. It was another long while before he spoke again. “And…it changed everything.”
Laney swallowed at the gravel in his tone, and she couldn’t look away from his intense blue eyes.
She did feel it. That strange feeling that somehow she knew him. But more than that, more than having known him possibly eight months ago, she felt as though she had known him all her life.
As though with just one glance, he was saying more to her than anyone else in her life ever had, saying everything that was unsaid, everything that needed no words to say. Something she already knew, had always known…
Her heartbeat started to quicken its pace in her chest and it occurred to her why despite the obvious circumstances and plain logical facts, Noah had to be very clear about that kiss from yesterday never happening again.
Because it very well actually—easily—could.
A sudden ringing made Laney jump and she looked down at the robot on the windowsill.
The little robot beeped twice before a holographic screen flickered over its head.
“Berry!” Laney blinked in recognition of the face that appeared on the screen.
It looked like Berry was still in his office, back at GNR. “Hey guys,” he greeted. “Just checking in, making sure neither of you’ve killed the other one yet.”
Noah had stepped back, his arms crossed over his chest again. “She hasn’t had that ‘bleed through’ again yet,” he responded.
Berry smirked on the screen. “Yeah, that’s not what I meant.”
That made Laney laugh, any unease she may have had instantly leaving her. Good old Berry.
“You must have just left Singapore, huh?” he asked.
“Yeah, we should be in Wellington in the morning,” Noah relayed.
“Any updates yet? On my cure?” Laney wanted to know.
Berry wrinkled his nose. “Sorry, I’ve only just started again. It could be a few days before I know anything conclusively.”
“A few days?” she moaned. “I’m sorry, just how many days did you figure I would be stuck here anyway?”
“I’m really sorry, Laney,” Berry said, shaking his head. “It’s hard to say, but we’re all doing the best we can.”
Laney sighed. “I know, sorry. I suppose it’s not your fault,” she conceded.
“I’ve arranged for someone to meet you as you come off the ship,” Berry told them. “To escort you to Dr. Chambers’ lab. Don’t worry, Laney. I promise you, we’re going to sort this all out.”
“Thanks, man.” Laney smiled.
“Hey Noah,” Berry called out. “I saw some kind of spike on Laney’s CCL a while ago. Did something happen?”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Noah dismissed. “She channeled a ‘bleed through’, but it was non-combative.”
“Apparently, it seems in some alternate worlds, I was Japanese or something,” Laney put in, before adding. “If only all the ‘bleed throughs’ were useful like that, instead of ones who’re trying to murder people.”
Berry shrugged. “I’m afraid at this point, we can’t pick and choose which versions of you come through. But perhaps we can try to determine a pattern with them and see why you’re manifesting these particular ones. I’ll know more once I have more data.”
“More data?” Laney repeated, displeased as it meant more ‘bleed throughs’. “How about finding a way to suppress them altogether?” she suggested. “Then maybe my nanny here,” she said, gesturing to Noah. “Won’t be so protective—of others,” she added wryly.
Noah shook his head but didn’t respond to her baiting.
Berry grinned, but he looked thoughtful as he considered her suggestion. “Well, we’ll see how it goes. Alright guys,” he bade. “Just hang tight. I’ll check back in once you’ve arrived in Wellington. Over and out.”
***
“What are you doing?” Noah leaned over, looking over her shoulder.
La
ney turned sideways. “Oh,” she said, gesturing to P.T. perched by the windowsill next to her seat, a holographic screen above its head displaying flickering videos of something in black-and-white. “I was bored and I found these on P.T.”
Noah looked taken aback. “P.T. can play ‘I Love Lucy’ clips?”
“I guess so,” she said. “Didn’t you know that?”
He was still looking at her strangely. “How did you even get that to work?”
Laney shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “Berry said it’s had some upgrades. I mean, I just pressed this button, the screen came up with options, whatever.” Then she shook her head briskly, gesturing to the show. “You know, I get that she’s funny,” she remarked offhand. “But some of this over-acting just goes over my head—” She stopped short as he was still staring at her. “What?” she prompted, before rationalizing. “I’ve been sitting here for hours. There wasn’t anything else to do—”
He dismissed it. “It’s fine. It’s just sometimes I forget that you are also Laney—I mean, Eleanor. Berry did say you were a fast learner.”
Laney broke a smile, looking pleased. Then she glanced out the windows briefly to watch the clouds sail past, before remembering something she had wanted to ask, since, in Laney’s entire life, the farthest she had ever gone away from home was Disney World. “Hey Noah,” she started. “This place where we’re going—Wellington? What’s it like?”
Noah settled back in his seat. “Windy.”
“That’s it?”
“I’m not a tour guide,” he said flatly.
She smirked and elbowed him, teasing. “Come on, yes, you are.”
“Why don’t you ask your little robot friend, it’s just had an upgrade, surely it must have all this information.”
P.T. had tipped onto one side and was trying unsuccessfully to roll over, his wheels screeching in effort.
Laney glanced over and set it upright on the windowsill again. “You know I don’t speak robot.”